SJGT MATCH PLAY: Sellers wins in 19-hole final

William Sellers of Montgomery needed an extra hole to defeat Wilson McDonald of Mobile for the 2009 SJGT Match Play Championship on the Lake Course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Grand National on Friday.

Sellers two-putted on the 19th hole to clinch the match, after McDonald failed to get up-and-down after missing the green.

The Montgomery native went 2-up on McDonald on the first two holes, but McDonald birdied the fifth to cut into Sellers’ lead.

Sellers birdied the par-5 seventh to go back 2-up, then went to 3-up at the turn with a par at the ninth.

McDonald parred the 10th to cut the lead to 2-up, the two halved holes 11 through 14, and Sellers made a par on the par-3 15th to reclaim a lead of 3-up.

That’s when McDonald started a furious comeback, hitting his drive to within 20 feet on the par-4 16th and two putting for birdie to win the hole.

Then he parred the 17th to cut Sellers’ lead to 1-up heading into the 18th. Sellers hit his tee shot into the trees on the final hole of regulation, allowing McDonald to par the 18th and send the match into extra holes.